Opinions on schools dictating what kids can eat at snack...

[sendwineandastraw]

I’ve just made up my Y6 DD’s pack lunch and she mentioned that she was told off yesterday for bringing in and eating a Beetroot and Berry Soreen bar at break time, apparently she should be making better and healthier snack choices!

Dont get me wrong I’m under no illusions that’s it’s not exactly the same nutritional value as carrot sticks or an apple but a quick google tells me a Soreen lunch bar contains 32% less sugar than an average snack bar and 50% than the average cake bar...

Yesterday DD took with her water, yogurt, blueberries, sushi (Aldi’s finest lunch pack!!) and the above Soreen so She’s hardly living a life of Smartie sandwich’s and Irn Bru!!!...

I don’t like being dictated to at the best of time what’s right for my kids but DD’s school is very sporty and before break have already done their daily mile and swam for an hour, how is a satsuma going to sustain and keep kids focused until lunch?!

That sounds bonkers. Teacher doesn’t sound very well-informed. Did you ask her why the snack was an offending item?

Lots of schools seem v ott with this, my daughters school is fairly sensible, luckily this would drive me mad.

The lunch box police.
Glad they weren't around when my kids were at school.
Ham sandwiches, crisps, chocolate biscuit and Vimto. All grew up healthy with no weight issues

I'm so glad our school is very reasonable and only get involved if lunches are properly unsuitable and it's happening regularly. They encourage healthy eating but certainly won't take away a kid's sweets or Soreen!

I dont mind people being policed like that if they send in a bag of haribo/ can of coke...but thats ridiculous

To look at it from another angle, the teachers are following the school’s guidelines and to be fair they cannot know the nutritional value of every food item.

But it is fair to say that processed and packaged food is much less healthy than whole foods.

Thing is, your daughter is going to be at school for quite some time yet so it’s worth trying to get on with the staff. Maybe approach the teacher asking for more information so you can avoid this happening in future? It’s better than fighting 🤷‍♀️

This infuriated me. My kids were told they couldn't drink squash as its unhealthy with their lunch of 4 different fruits and veg....
While the school dinners lot had sausages and chips.

I told my kids that that's a discussion for grown ups and their stock response should be "you need to call my mum" if anyone had a problem

These are situations where I really enjoyed trotting out my food/nutrition related degree and asking the teacher exactly what their relevant qualifications were in relation to my child’s diet

That’s such a dickish attitude. Why are parents so keen to fight with the school? Grow up and try to focus on your child’s well-being instead of seeking out petty arguments.

@JudgeRindersMinder love it, I’ve passed onto my husband, he’s quite fond of a grumpy email.

@SinnermanGirl thankfully DD only has 5 weeks left a primary and then on to secondary where I know from experience don’t really give a shit what the kids are eating, which suits me!

What a ridiculous statement. Why are schools so hell bent on making contradictory, stupid rules? Make a stupid rule expect to be challenged

Sorry, but I don't think the school is being that unreasonable. The U.K in general has a problem in that it has become completely normal/acceptable to provide processed food and sugary things in lunch boxes. OK, I get what you're saying in that there are worse options out there. But cereal bars aren't exactly healthy either are they? You don't need to get your ego bruised over it. Just pack something else next time. No big deal.

my dc school (not uk) only allows fruit or veg as snack.

lunchbox - anything goes, not policed at all.

I'd be happy to comply and follow whatever they say. Once they hold school dinners to the same standard.

I wouldn't worry, she'll be in secondary soon and they won't care if she has a Mars Bar and a can of Monster every day. Primaries have become too over zealous in recent years.

It's really difficult to do a packed lunch with only whole foods that kids will actually eat.
my DS for example would happily have a sandwich, fruit and nuts as a pretty balanced lunch but I couldn't deny that to school as he would only eat fruit cut up and if I tried sending that to school it would be slimy by lunch. Nuts are obviously out too. So he ended up having crisps and a cake bar 🤷🏼‍♀️

@SinnermanGirl I actually think it’s more “dickish” for a teacher to pull a child up in front of their class and dictate them (unfoundedly) for their ill choice in diet which she absolutely knows was not bought or packed by the child...

At the very least I’d expect a direct email from said teacher as the discussion should be between me and her.

It really annoys me that schools have the authority to choose what children can and can't eat.

When I was at school, we all brought crisps or biscuits for our snack and we all grew up absolutely fine.

I would have thought fruit would sustain kids longer than ultra processed cake like Soreen. The fibre and water in fruit means the glycaemic load is smaller - the energy is released more slowly. Did you try the satsumas and find she wasn’t concentrating or is that just an assumption?

@LindaEllen the adult obesity rate would suggest that not everyone did grow up fine!

I don't think the school should be reprimanding the pupils for bringing the 'wrong' snack at this age.
I don't necessarily agree that fruit isn't enough to get them to lunch either though, mine haven't taken a snack for break since infants hardly any of the older DC do apparently, there was a poll about it on the school app.

When I was at school, we all brought crisps or biscuits for our snack and we all grew up absolutely fine check out the obesity numbers in the UK, we arent absolutely fine

All of you grew up absolutely fine? Because unless you're under 24 the majority of you (as a group, not you personally) are now overweight or obese.

The basic premise I support, sometimes the detail may be wrong or uninformed. The policy should be clear and easy for parents to access.

That's crazy.The kids at the primary I work at come with choc spread sandwiches,chocolate biscuits and crisps

We didn't have snacks at break in primary, and we all grew up fat.